[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 224 (Friday, November 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 64451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31185]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 224 / Friday, November 20, 1998 /
Notices
[[Page 64451]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[TM-98-00-8]
Notice of a Teleconference Meeting of the National Organic
Standards Board
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces a
forthcoming Teleconference meeting of the National Organic Standards
Board (NOSB).
DATES: December 7, 1998, at 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time (EST). You must register in advance if you want to be present on
the teleconference call, no later than 12:00 p.m. EST November 30,
1998. Comments to be considered by the NOSB prior to the
teleconference, should be received by November 30, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Jones, Program Manager, Room
2945 South Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture, AMS,
Transportation and Marketing, National Organic Program, P.O. Box 96456,
Washington, DC 20090-6456; telephone (202) 720-3235; Fax (202) 205-
7808; or by e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic
Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et
seq.), requires the establishment of the NOSB. The purpose of the NOSB
is to assist in the development of standards for substances to be used
in organic production and to advise the Secretary on any other aspects
of the implementation of the OFPA. The NOSB met for the first time in
Washington, DC, in March 1992 and currently has six committees working
on various aspects of the program. The committees are: Crops Standards;
Processing, Labeling and Packaging; Livestock Standards; Accreditation;
Materials; and International Issues. In August 1994, the NOSB provided
its initial recommendations for the National Organic Program (NOP) to
the Secretary of Agriculture and since that time has submitted 30
addenda to its recommendations, and reviewed more than 170 substances
for inclusion on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited
Substances. The last meeting of the NOSB was held in July 1998, in
Washington, DC. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its
proposed rule in the Federal Register on December 16, 1997 (62 FR
65849). An extension of the comment period on the proposed rule was
published in the Federal Register on February 9, 1998 (63 FR 6498). The
comment period was extended until April 30, 1998. The USDA published
for public comment three issue papers in the Federal Register (63 FR
57624) on October 28, 1998. The papers addressed certain issues raised
during the National Organic Program's proposed rule comment period. The
issue papers are: Issue paper 1. Livestock Confinement in Organic
Production Systems; Issue Paper 2. The Use of Antibiotics and
Parasiticides in Organic Livestock Production; and Paper 3. Termination
of Certification by Private Certifiers. Comments received on these
papers will be considered during the development of a revised National
Organic Program proposed rule.
Purpose and Agenda
The NOSB will conduct a public meeting by teleconference on Friday,
December 7, 1998, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST inclusive. After the
teleconference, the NOSB will make its final recommendations to the
Secretary of Agriculture on the above described issue papers.
Type of Meeting
The teleconference meeting will be open to the public. If you wish
to be present on the teleconference call you must register in advance
to receive the dial-in number (teleconference lines are limited and are
available on a first come, first served basis). Please contact Karen
Thomas at: (202) 720-3252 or fax: (202) 205-7808 with your name,
company name, and telephone number, no later than 12:00 p.m. EST
November 30, 1998, if you want to be present on the teleconference
call. Opportunities for oral comment will be given at the beginning of
the call and will be limited to no more than two minutes per speaker
and no more than 20 minutes total for the public comment period. Public
statements presented at the teleconference meeting should not repeat
prior oral or written statements made to USDA by a commenter on the
Issue Papers.
In its October 28, 1998 Federal Register Notice, USDA established
December 14, 1998 as the last date for submission of comments on the
Issue Papers. Persons, however, who want the NOSB to consider their
comments prior to the teleconference, should submit them to USDA by
November 30, 1998 (address above) and indicate that they are being
submitted for the December 7, 1998 NOSB teleconference. All comments on
the issue papers received by USDA by December 14, 1998, will be
considered by it.
Copies of the meeting agenda can be obtained from Karen Y. Thomas
at (202) 720-3252 or at the above fax number and copies of the issue
papers that will be discussed can be obtained from Keith Jones using
the contact information listed at the beginning of this notice. Minutes
of the meeting will be available through Keith Jones. All of this
information is also available through the NOP web page at:
www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
Dated: November 16, 1998.
Eileen S. Stommes,
Deputy Administrator, Transportation and Marketing.
[FR Doc. 98-31185 Filed 11-19-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P